Arrrgh, matey!

Around this time every year, I try to really be aware of all the things I am grateful for. Now I'm adding one more thing to the list: Whale Wars.

The premise of the show is simple: An organization called Sea Shepherd want to put a stop to the whaling industry. But these aren't your run-of-the-mill, sign-holding, flower-wearing hippies; these kids aren't playing around. They chase "enemy ships" with a helicopter, board whaling vessels like pirates and even use their boat to ram other whaling boats. I'm completely addicted! Seriously, I know what I'm going to be using all of my vacation time for next year... Antarctica, I'm on my way! (Okay, probably not. But it sure looks like fun.)

Happy Tofurkey Day!

I'm not judgin', I'm just sayin'...

Have a happy and cruelty-free holiday!

ATL Continued!

*Correction: My last blog entry incorrectly stated that I drive an '07 Chevy. In reality, I drive a Dodge and I have a very loose grasp on vehicular identity.

Anyway, there we were (late as always) and at several points during All Time Low's set, I sincerely believed some of the audience members wouldn't make it out alive. (Of course, the obnoxious people in front of me who insisted on having their hands in the air for the duration of the set unfortunately were not harmed at any point. It's fun, I know. You wanna throw your hands up, we all do. And it's okay. But seriously, you're going to drain all the blood out of your hands and arms and then when you meet the band after the show, you won't be able to hug them because your bloodless arms will be useless. I'm just thinking of you. And me.) Alex Gaskarth stopped the show no less than twice to make sure the throngs of ATL-ophiles weren't going to crush each other to death.

Having comfortably watched the Mayday Parade set from the balcony, we wandered downstairs for ATL and at more than one point I was afraid that the shaking balcony was going to collapse, ruining my hair and my skeletal integrity. The ground was shaking like a fault line--I've never experienced an earthquake firsthand, but I have a sneaking suspicion that's what it would feel like. But the show wasn't all about fear, it was a seriously good time. The jokes were filthy and frequent, as is their trademark, and the songs were all kinds of awesome.

And I didn't have to hike three miles to a parking garage. That's what I call a good night.

ATL (not Atlanta)

It's been kind of a crazy weekend here in Cleveland. There wasn't quite as much snow--and I was kind of counting on not being able to open my front door and therefore trapped into doing my laundry--but it worked out.


Saturday night was Every Avenue, the Maine, Mayday Parade and All Time Low at the House of Blues in Cleveland. Now before we get to my thoughts on the concert, let's talk a little bit about the parking situation in downtown Cleveland because it's basically a road-rage machine. The only parking garages for block were either full or closed so we were left with the daunting task of parking on the street. Right when we were about to resign ourselves to parking miles away, we pulled over and asked a police officer where the best place to park would be. He looked around and then pointed, "Well, you could try for over there." And lo and behold there was a spot right in front of the House of Blues entrance. It was a further walk to the bathroom than to the car. I almost posted a picture to prove it, but I don't want to post a picture of my '09 Jag (which coincidently resembles an '07 Chevy).


As evidenced by the picture below, we were pretty far away during All Time Low's set. As per the usual, I was running a little late....


To Be Continued...

Alone Has Never Been So Good

It's an anti-socialite's dream.


Where's The Band? isn't just a question, it's a whole tour.

The super-sweet acoustic tour will feature Dustin Kensrue (of Thrice), Matt Pryor (of The Get Up Kids), Chris Conley (of Saves The Day) and Anthony Raneri (of Bayside) all by their lonesomes. Doesn't that sound amazing?


Yes! That's what I thought too. And, miracle of miracles, they're coming not only to Cleveland:



Jan 21: Dekalb, IL @ The House Cafe

Jan 22: East Lansing, MI @ Union Ballroom

Jan 23: Columbus, OH @ The Basement

Jan 24: Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr Smalls Theatre

Jan 25: Cleveland Heights, OH @ The Grog Shop

Jan 27: Memphis, TN @ The Hi-Tone

Jan 28: Nashville, TN @ Rocketown

Jan 29: Covington, KY @ Mad Hatter Club

Jan 30: Pontiac, MI @ The Crofoot Pike Room

Jan 31: Chicago, IL @ Subterranean



But they're coming to the East Side. Which is where all the hip cats live, in case you didn't know.

Brace Yourselves

(above photo: the view from my front window in approximately 12 hours.)

After watching yet another riveting episode of Stylista on the CW--wait! it gets better, I promise!--I started watching the local news. Right after I learned that the innerbelt bridge I take home from work everyday is even closer to collapse (joy. add to unending list of things to do: find new way home that doesn't involve tons of concrete beneath me that may or may not be stable. also, find weather-appropriate shoes because nature did not intend ballet flats for Cleveland winters.)


Then--within the first 10 minutes as promised--I learned from my meteorologist and her neat-o green screen that lake effect snow is on its way. I'm going to stock up on hot cocoa and Molly Ringwald movies. But I'm worried that may not be enough...


So what are you going to do when you're all snowed in and you've watched every Tivo-ed episode of Gossip Girl you've got and staring at your computer screen for even one more minute will undoubtedly cause your eyeballs to melt out of your head? Try these songs-and some flannel pjs--on for size.

What Just Happened?

Last night, my husband and I went to see the latest creation to roll out of Charlie Kaufman's mind and onto the big screen: Synecdoche New York (please don't ask me how to pronounce that. Trying to convey to the box office worker what movie tickets I wanted was challenging enough). The movie started at 7:30. Two hours later, the credits started rolling and I had no idea what I had just seen.


I knew going in that it was a Charlie Kaufman movie, so I certainly wasn't expecting a straightforward romantic comedy. I love Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (confession: I still haven't seen Adaptation or Being John Malkovich), so I thought I could handle this movie. I thought very, very wrong.


Here's what I did gather (don't worry, there aren't any spoilers because honestly I wouldn't know what to spoil):

- The movie was about being your truest self (what that has to do with warehouses within warehouses within cities, I'm not sure), and that's something that resonates not only with me, but with everyone I think. We spend our whole lives being ourselves, but how often do we really know who we are?

- It had to do with theater, and representations of life.

There is one line from the movie that I absolutely loved though, something that the main character, Caden, said:

"There are millions of people in the world--and none of those people is an extra."

Outta Time

To you, from me (well, technically from Oasis):







It's perfect chill-out music for a Saturday morning. Happy weekend :)

Weeknight. The Music

In theory, last night should have been the best night ever--after all, it was Thursday, the best night ever for TV and Portugal. The Man were in town. In reality, at least part of the awesomeness kind of slipped right through our hands.


But, this is Cleveland, we're surprisingly used to disappointment.

Not disappointing were Portugal. The Man during their late-night show at the Grog Shop. Wasilla, Alaska's second-most famous export likely knows that Africa is a continent not a country, and jammed out a solid performance (hence the photo above. I know what you're thinking: "Whoa, that photo has a blue light! Jen always takes pictures when the stage lights are red! What's going on? Who am I? What is the meaning of life?" To which I say, "Calm down. My husband Robb took the picture. He's taller and therefore can get pictures that don't consist mainly of the backs of people's heads.").

It shouldn't surprise you that I'm kind of high-maintenance. When it comes to shoes and live music, I kind of have high expectations and I don't like to be disappointed. When I pay money, drive around for hours looking for a parking spot, pay for overpriced food and drinks and endure countless opening bands just to get to the headliner I came to see, I don't just want to hear the album regurgitated. I want them to perform it--and jumping around in gimmicky outfits with emo hair does not a performance make. When I go to a show, I want the band to give me something I can't find on their album or  on the internet. It's kind of an intangible thing, that "x factor" I guess, but however you describe it - Portugal. The Man brought it.

My advice for you: If you have the chance to check out these wild-eyed indie-rockers when they come to your neck of the woods, I would suggest you do so. Also, beware of mid-calf boots, they are a tricky, tricky animal. 

Epic Win

Last night, as I sat at my computer in our home office (aka "The Situation Room"), history was made.



But before we get to that--for those living somewhere other than planet earth--the obvious historic moment last night was that Barack Obama was elected president. It's more than a big deal. But it wasn't the only thing making history...



Did you see those holograms on CNN? They were crazy, as in crazy awesome. They were straight up "Help me, Obi Wan Kenobi"-awesome. Courtesy of thirty five HD cameras, a reporter in Chicago was having a live conversation with Wolf Blitzer in not-Chicago via hologram. My mind was sufficiently blown.



My understanding of global politics now leads me to one inevitable conclusion: A hologram race will room envelop the planet much like the space race of the 50's and 60's and the arms race of the Cold War. I guess we'll just have to trust Alaska to keep an eye on the Russian hologram program... What? Too soon?